The father of an eight-year-old boy seen crossing a road in Lam Tin on his knees in a viral clip has come forward to say the punishment was “for [the child’s] own good”.
The 40-year-old man, surnamed Lee, said he was reprimanding his youngest son for failing to bring his homework to class and “constantly lying”, according to Apple Daily.
Footage of Lee and his two sons (aged eight and 10) in Lam Tin went viral on Monday night and sparked fury amongst netizens who accused the father of child abuse after his youngest son was filmed crossing the road on his knees whilst pinching his ears.
Passersby immediately called the police, who arrested Lee on suspicion of child abuse after arriving on the scene. After a few hours of questioning, Lee was released on bail pending investigation and was told to report back to police in late February.
Addressing widespread backlash online from netizens who said his reaction to his child’s behaviour was “too extreme”, Lee admitted he could “be strict sometimes” but said he punished his son “for his own good” and “wasn’t afraid to be the bad guy”.
The 40-year-old said his son had begun acting out “a lot more” about a year ago, when he began spending the holidays in mainland China with his mother (from whom Lee is divorced).
As of yesterday, the boy is in hospital receiving treatment for injuries to his knees, and is under the care of his grandmother. Despite saying that he “wasn’t scared to be criticised” for his parenting techniques, Lee expressed concern that his son would be taken away from him by the Social Welfare Department.
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